Josh Self returns to work

Thursday

Three months after a tragic incident killed his wife and sister and left him with a litany of injuries, Josh Self returned to full duty as a school resource officer.

Most people at Stuart Cramer High School didn't recognize the Gaston County Police Officer, Self said. Still, it was a relief to return to full-duty work for the first time since his father allegedly drove an SUV into a Bessemer City restaurant May 20, killing Josh's wife Amanda and sister Katelyn.

"Everything has just been a process," Self said. "Even going home from the hospital was a process, going back to church was a process. Everything was a process. Until you've been through something like that you don't realize even the smallest of things can be very emotional. I knew getting back into uniform was a pretty huge process."

Self's injuries included a broken L1 vertebra, broken ribs, brain bleed, a punctured lung, orbital injuries, liver laceration and a cracked ankle. He returned to light duty in July, but wanted to wait until he was nearing full health before he started policing the school system.

His ankle still gives him trouble, but he's able to jog now. That came as a huge relief.

"I felt like I needed to be able to at least do that before I could do return," he said. "My ankle is still not 100 percent but I know that I'm well enough to do the job effectively."

Months after the incident at the Surf and Turf Lodge, Self's family is constantly on his mind. Amanda Self was an emergency room nurse at CaroMont Regional Medical Center, Katelyn Self a corporal with the Gaston County Sheriff's Office.

Community support has allowed him to get to a sense of normalcy, he said.

"Just keeping my mind occupied, I think that was important to me," Self said. "I've had total strangers that have befriended me. Stuff like that has been tremendous."

Self's father, Roger Self, remains in law enforcement custody charged with two counts of first-degree murder. His family says he was suffering from mental issues at the time of the incident.

You can reach Adam Lawson at 704-869-1842 or on Twitter @GazetteLawson.

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